ABSTRACT
Covid-19 restrictions effected all parts of daily life, as people stayed home, parks and green space took on new responsibilities as the focus of daily outings and exercise. Restrictions involving social interaction caused community anxiety to grow and the art of living ‘apart-together’ become a novel concept loaded with social and behavioural expectations. The concept of watchful indifference, as it relates to the social catastrophes constructed through Covid-19 restrictions, are exposed, and heightened through the participation of physical activity and new ways of participating in community-based sport. Now people are more aware of keeping ‘apart’ and the dynamic of participation in and through sport, which demands such elevated level of interaction, has changed. Through lived experiences over the course of lockdowns and proceeding restrictions this chapter offers a commentary on sport and physical activity through the lens of watchful indifference as we come to terms with the new codes of interaction.
